1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a method for automatic determination of a flow of a bodily fluid within vessels of an organism (in particular a person) by means of magnetic resonance and a correspondingly designed device, particularly for allowing stenoses and aneurysms to be localized and depicted through an analysis of the flow.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Magnetic resonance systems are increasingly used for image-based examination of patients since they enable a relatively stress-free examination of the patient as well as an appraisal of many different body regions of the patient. The manner of operation of such magnetic resonance systems is well known.
Magnetic resonance angiography and magnetic resonance flow measurement can be undertaken with a magnetic resonance system. In magnetic resonance angiography, lumens (in particular blood vessels) within an organism are localized by magnetic resonance tomography and one depicted in images for a physician to interpret. In magnetic resonance flow measurement, moving or flowing elements within the organism are determined and depicted in images for a physician to interpret. Both magnetic resonance angiography and magnetic resonance flow measurement (two-dimensional as well as three-dimensional) are well known to those skilled in the art, so they need not be explained in further detail herein.
Magnetic resonance angiography has conventionally been used, for example, to assist a physician searching for lesions (for example stenoses and aneurysms) by using the corresponding magnetic resonance angiography images. Moreover, with the magnetic resonance flow measurement the physician can check whether the lesions detected with the magnetic resonance angiography are hemodynamically relevant.
In conventional investigation of this type, the physician must manually evaluate magnetic resonance angiography images and magnetic resonance flow images separately from one another in order to identify lesions (such as, for example, stenoses or aneurysms) in a patient.